1st

PG|Punk made his breakout appearance on the Pro Tour at Red Bull Battle Grounds in 2016 where he took 3rd place. Feeling he could have won it, he was emotional about that placement. Fast forward to 2017 and he is without a doubt the best player in the world right now. To illustrate the point, Punk has a lead of over 950 points over ECHO FOX|Tokido in 2nd place on the Global Leaderboard. That’s enough points for two full Premier Event wins plus another top 5 finish. Also keep in mind that Tokido won EVO 2017, which gives him 1,000 points for one event. In 2017 Punk has finished top 16 at 5 Premier Events. Three of those finishes were first place at NCR and Dreamhack Austin in back to back wins and at the very last event of the year at Red Bull Battle Grounds, getting the win in 2017 he so longed for the previous year. He also finished 2nd to Tokido in EVO 2017. Punk is without a doubt the best Karin player in the world but he also has pocket secondary characters that he’s used at events including Nash, Ken, Ibuki, Guile, and more. He has the nickname “The Alpha” among fans for his playful assertiveness toward his opponents before and between matches. His antics are not just amusing to spectators, but they serve a strategic purpose of trying to disrupt the opponent’s mindset. If there is such a thing as a favorite to win Capcom Cup (previous years have proven that even the best go 0-2!), Punk is it. Regardless of what happens, it will be entertaining.